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Episode 4 (series 1)
S1 Ep4
Series 1
Episode 4
Airdate 12 March 1988
Audience Unknown
Writer Anita Bronson
Director Gerry Mill
Producer Paul Knight
Previous episode Episode 3 (series 1)
Next episode Episode 5 (series 1)

Episode 4 (series 1) is the fourth episode of London's Burning's first series. It was first broadcast in the UK on ITV on March 12, 1988.

Episode Summary[]

Red Watch's Jaffa Parrish is looking for volunteers for the Brigade's upcoming boxing tournament. George seems the obvious choice, but he is not interested. Big Eddie appears at Blackwall looking for Vaseline, who owes him money. The watch manage to get rid of Big Eddie and George finds Vaseline hiding in his car. Malcolm, Sicknote and Kevin visit Charisma in hospital, and he tells them that he has ended the relationship with Donna, although they are sceptical and tell him that Liver Salts had to take her to court to get rid of her.

John and Sandra go out for the night, leaving Albert babysitting. They return home to find Albert on the sofa with an elderly woman named Edith. At her evening class, David persuades Josie to let him give her a lift home. He then asks to use her lavatory. Once inside David's demeanour becomes more menacing and he attacks her. Josie manages to fight him off with a knife and he leaves. She locks the front door not realising he is still in the house and he attacks her again. This time she immobilises him with two kicks to the groin and throws him out.

The watch finally wear George down and he agrees to box in the tournament. Blue Watch are called to a fire in a tower block but they are unable to pump water to the burning flat because all the dry risers have been vandalised, so they have to haul the hoses up. Tate gets breathless and panicky. He later confides in Hallam about his fears of not being able to pump water fast enough to save lives. Albert and Edith 'elope' for Edinburgh. Bayleaf gives Josie a lift home, and she tells him she was nearly raped the other night by David. However, her feelings for him are conflicted, as she is still recovering from the marriage to Gerry.

After a row with Nancy about his erratic behaviour, Tate doesn't show up for work and Hallam is forced to report him as AWOL. Meanwhile, a mentally disturbed man is threatening to commit suicide unless they don't find his girlfriend Lorraine, however, she died in a car crash when he was at the wheel. As Malcolm and Sicknote grab him in the melee, Tony slips and has to be hauled to safety by Vaseline. Later, Big Eddie catches up with Vaseline and attacks him with a sledgehammer. George deals with Big Eddie, although in doing so injures his hand, forcing him out of the boxing tournament.

Tate finally returns home. He had driven to the Kent coast and spent the day staring into the horizon. Charisma returns home and discovers Donna is running a hair salon in his living room. Gerry pays Josie a visit, but is unsympathetic about her almost being raped and implies that she had it coming. She slaps him and he slaps her back, then leaves. Tate is given a week's sick leave, and returns to Blackwall to a warm welcome from his watch.

Cast[]

Appearance[]

First Appearance

Jaffa Parrish

Gallery[]

Clips[]

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